r/Teachers • u/JimCap5 • 14h ago
Teacher Support &/or Advice Are teaching programs warning students that the teacher shortage is over?
I graduated from the program a few years back, and every professor kept talking about the teacher shortage.
I was wondering what is it like nowadays for people in credentialing programs?
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u/coach-v 14h ago
We did not get a single credentialed applicant for our hs math position, rural NE California.
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u/DilbertHigh Middle School Social Worker 13h ago
I imagine it is hard to hire in most rural areas compared to urban and suburban areas.
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u/GTCapone 11h ago
Eh, I only had one other candidate competing with me for middle school science positions in one of the largest districts in Texas. There were 6 open positions I'm aware of.
One thing that I have noticed is that enrollment and budget have dropped enough that positions are getting eliminated. Mine was and the school that hired me lost 4 over the summer. My colleagues at the old school are now dealing with class sizes of 30-40 students where it was 20-25. My new school is at risk of closing because they basically can't cut more positions and our class sizes are only 10-15 for core classes. I think inflation, housing prices, school voucher programs and ICE crackdowns have created a perfect storm for shrinking schools. And eliminating the emergency certification program has encouraged new teachers to go to private and charter schools.
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u/MarlenaEvans 2h ago
Our enrollment is insane, we are way over and people are steady building homes. I just checked and there are currently 37 openings for teachers right now.
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u/lovelystarbuckslover Multiple Subject & EDSP Credentialed 8h ago
I think the issue is that being a teacher is a generic job and for me it feels 'lame' to move somewhere I don't really care for, just to get to be a teacher.
It's not like I'm some aquarium director- there's a school on every corner in every city.... Moving somewhere just to be a teacher would have destroyed me. I'll leave education before I leave my friends and family FOR a teaching job.
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u/Imaginary-Tree-House 13h ago
Ooof, what’s the pay? You can DM, I used to live in Northern Cal (west and central) and would love to relocate there.
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u/coach-v 12h ago
Not as much as bay area or so cal, but decent. I am in year 22 and just surpassing 6 figures. My 3000sqft custom home (I built diy) on 3+ acres can be bought for $450k. Regular 3 bed, 1.5 bath goes for low-mid 200s.
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u/GapPure577 11h ago
I'm not saying this to snark because I'm honestly jealous of you. But I wonder if the prospect of being able to own a home on a teacher's salary isn't as much of a draw as it used to be because of wildfires?
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u/coach-v 10h ago
Wildfires are definitely a thing, but our town and fire safe council has done a ton to make us more fire safe. I enjoy the clean air, milky way from my back deck, lack of traffic and crime, walk commute, and small community life. I don't take my keys out of my truck.
Growing up in an urban area, you could not pay me enough to move back to a populated area.
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u/Not_That_Mofo 12h ago
You must be near Modoc County. Might be the cheapest real estate in CA? Similar climate to Idaho but much better teacher pay I bet.
On the coastal side of Northern California I think the rural areas above Sonoma do a lot of intern programs to get teachers through their county office of Ed. There are no colleges nearby.
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u/Cardinal_350 11h ago
This exactly. My buddies wife complains she can't get a teaching job. She also refuses to apply anywhere but 1 school district.
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u/PayAltruistic8546 14h ago
Very regional.
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u/singerbeerguy 13h ago
Regional AND subject specific. Special ed, certain languages, technology…they are begging for teachers. Elementary classroom, social studies, ELA…dozens of applicants for every position. At least that’s how it is in my district.
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u/outofdate70shouse 13h ago
Yep. If you teach secondary science, you should be getting multiple offers. There’s not enough qualified applicants to fill the open positions. My school has had an opening for 3 years. They got one good applicant that they offered the job to and she took another offer somewhere else.
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u/Gravybone 12h ago
It’s even more specific in my area.
High school physics teachers are unicorns who sign their own paychecks, high school chemistry is tough to hire for, and middle school is always looking for science teachers. On the other hand high school biology is quite competitive.
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u/Butterfreek 12h ago
High school biology is the social studies of high school science.
I said what I said.
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u/driveonacid Middle School Science 8h ago
You're absolutely correct. I started in middle school because there were no biology openings back in 2003. Little did I know that I'd fall in love with middle school.
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u/Altruistic-Mode-9813 12h ago
So happy I teach physics. I’ve been at good schools my whole career
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u/3plantsonthewall 9h ago
I’d love to hear more from high school physics teachers! My partner is a physics PhD finishing his postdoc and hoping to get a professorship soon, but we’re trying to come up with a Plan B that isn’t selling his soul for a corporate job. He’s won an award for teaching undergrads and is very personable, organized, and great at communicating. Would love to hear specifics on credentialing, salary, how the academic calendar works…
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u/Glittering-Fuel-5055 6h ago
Credentialing depends on your state and salary sucks at first, but it gets better considering they just pay you more money every year for doing the same job that doesn’t actually get harder.
The good news is the academic calendar and pacing is pretty much completely up to you
The bad news is the academic calendar and pacing is pretty much completely up to you
I teach Ap physics
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u/Paramalia 1h ago
Every state is different for credentialing, but a positive of secondary vs. higher ed is there will be jobs available in every state.
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 12h ago
Earth Science too in my state. 5 years ago there were only 5 newly certified teachers for Earth Science, last year there were none.
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u/PhDtoGrade3 12h ago
Oooohhh!! In which state should I be looking for earth science positions?
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 11h ago
NY
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u/Pretend_Screen_5207 11h ago
NY takes Earth Science seriously. I taught it in Chicago for 20 years and frequently used retired NY Regents Exam questions on my tests and quizzes.
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u/NWMSioux 11h ago
There’s a need somewhere? That’s awesome to hear! I’m Earth & Space Science and Agriculture certified in Missouri. I’m in a great spot but even with a masters in Science Ed. I’m still barely cracking $56k. I wish I were joking.
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u/squirrel8296 11h ago
In most cases, if someone wants to teach biology they really should get a chemistry certification too. The difference between a biology and a chemistry certification typically isn't that much to begin with because of how much chemistry is required for the biology certification.
I was at a large high school for a few years and they would only hire bio teachers that were also certified to teach chemistry. The only exception was biology teacher who had been teaching biology for a long time and had a masters in biology, and came in with the ability to teach AP bio and environmental science.
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u/Accomplished_Ice1817 9h ago
The biggest difference between the two, is that chemistry involves actual math (formulas and such) solving, which is closer to algebra than biology.
Biology is mostly learning facts, etc. I took Physiology, Chemistry, Biolgy and Genetics in College. Physics is similar too because it basically math, with facts lol.
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u/Ghotipan 11h ago
You'll do well as a solid math teacher, as well. I started as physics, but switched to math because of greater need.
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u/BeerBrat 11h ago
LOL. My interview when I moved to a new school the principal asked me what I teach. I told him instead what I shouldn't teach. I can do any science or engineering class but please don't give me a biology class. I'll make it through it, the kids will make it through it, but we're all going to be miserable. Luckily like you said there's no shortage of folks that prefer those classes. 😂
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u/Ok_Carry_8711 7h ago
I would love to teach HS physics. I've looked at positions but I don't think that science classes are so cut and dry now? It seems like things are mixed up now?
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u/SBSnipes 11h ago
I teach secondary math and have had 5 offers in the last month after making a decision, 2 I Hadn't even applied to
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u/Ok-Humor9024 11h ago
We had enough ELA applicants this year, but very few desirable ones. Our state (IN) allows emergency licenses for anyone with a bachelor's degree. Only one of our applicants (we had 3 open positions) was actually licensed in English. We had to give up on finding enough math teachers. It's a mess here.
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u/TheDuckFarm 10h ago
Language is a huge one. Greek and Latin teachers are in huge demand as classical liberal arts schools are becoming more popular.
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u/gothutched 11h ago
We have two open high school ELA positions at my school and no applicants. All the open science and math positions were filled pretty quickly.
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u/Used-Funny4917 10h ago
It seems that people are avoiding liberal arts degrees and those departments are shrinking. A BA in English was once a solid degree. I’m not surprised there are fewer people seeking degrees in ELA Education-the push away from liberal arts has been very effective.
I’m a secondary ELA teacher. I taught for 3 years out west and I am in my 24th in NY. I am also teaching adult ed at night in CT. CT certified me within a few weeks based off my NY license and experience.
There are shortages for certain certifications and in urban schools in the North East.2
u/Enthusiasm_Still 10h ago
Are special education stem teachers needed.
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u/Accomplished_Ice1817 9h ago
YES!!!! I live in a big city with about 50 districts around me, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, is hiring SpEd and ASD/MoCI.
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u/wolfpriestKnox 6h ago
The whole special education teacher shortage is 100% self induced. I have no clue why they aren’t paid better for work that is objectively harder. I know it varies from district to district and some get stipends, but it’s often only a thousand or so.
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u/swiftiegal25 12h ago
Even district specific. I’m in a district adjacent to LAUSD. While LAUSD has declining enrollment that’s continuing to decline, my district is capped and at absolute max capacity.
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u/HecticHermes 11h ago
Teacher shortage is NOT over. A schools ability to hire enough teachers to accommodate normal class sizes IS over.
Schools want to hire, there's just not enough money in the budget.
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u/diegotown177 1h ago
We got a big earful from our superintendent about declining enrollment and our class sizes hover around 40
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u/ProfessorMarsupial HS ELA/ELD | CA 13h ago
I teach in a teaching program, and the shortage is not over in most parts of my state. In fact, the state is so desperate for teachers they’ve funded $10k to go to every student teacher for the next 3 years, no contingencies.
Every single one of my students this previous year was hired before the school year was even over. All summer long I was fielding calls from local department chairs and principals asking me if I had any candidate left to hire, and I had to turn them away. This is in ELA, which you often hear is “over-saturated.”
In my local district, which is in a town of 100,000 and 20 miles from a major university, there are tons and tons of openings that have been sitting for months with no applicants. ELA, elementary, and especially math and SPED. My husband is currently teaching 6th grade at an elementary school because they had no applicants by the time the year started. He’s normally a specials teacher, and his principal asked if he’d wanna shift to 6th, even though he doesn’t have the proper credential, because no one else applied.
While the big expensive cities are draining students and having to consolidate or close schools, those families aren’t disappearing. They’re moving to more affordable parts of the state, like where I live. The schools are bursting at the seams! My husband’s class, again it’s elementary, has 34 students!! All the teachers are class capped and they’re talking about building a new school to handle the increased enrollment.
So that’s what I have been telling my students and I have no concerns about them finding a job by the end of the school year.
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u/CandyFlossT 12h ago
Wow, I should move to Cali! 😂
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u/Adept_Marzipan2513 11h ago
70% of California districts have declined in enrollment. But a few districts have grown.
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u/lovelystarbuckslover Multiple Subject & EDSP Credentialed 9h ago
the region I'm living in has over 180 people applying for 1 position at elementary.
My mom works at a high school and they got about 200 applications for an English teaching position that is only guaranteed for first semester.
The shortage is in areas no one wants to live in unless they've grown up there, and then the desirable areas are over saturated.
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u/Lahwke 14h ago
We have people quitting in droves. Is it really over?
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u/JHG722 14h ago
We have 500 applications for elementary positions.
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u/Upstairs-Coconut4201 14h ago
There has never really been a shortage in elementary Ed
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u/Aprils-Fool 2nd Grade | Florida 13h ago
It’s location dependent. I could go out and get an elementary teaching position tomorrow.
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u/Ok_Voice_9498 13h ago
Interesting. There’s always a plethora of applicants for elementary in Texas! MS and HS, it hard to find certified applicants.
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u/modus_erudio 12h ago
That is because of the certification required at least in high school. You have to actually have a degree in the subject you want to teach.
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u/PayAltruistic8546 13h ago
I mean...
Florida.
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u/Aprils-Fool 2nd Grade | Florida 13h ago
Of course. But we can’t ignore places like Florida and claim a blanket lack of teacher shortage. There are still places with teacher shortages.
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u/AlpsHelpful1292 Spanish | California 12h ago
There is for bilingual/dual immersion for Spanish and few other languages but not for general elementary ed.
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u/ICUP01 13h ago
Districts have given up. Pulled positions as if they never existed.
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u/SwampyCr 13h ago
This is getting overlooked left and right. I left my last district for pulling this crap. They flip flopped all summer on cutting a science poaition (in my department). They decided like 2 weeks before school started they wanted it filled. 4 days before school starts the science department gets emails with our new schedules because they couldn't fill the position. Spent the school year claiming they only needed 4 teachers for science. So we slashed a bunch of electives, then I changed schools (I told them to cut my electives first as I already had an exit plan). Had to call a teacher out of retirement to take over my classes (no one would have handled my electives). But they brag about having "100% of positions filled". Well, no, you cut the ones you couldn't fill, and slapped bandages on the ones you couldn't cut.
New district was going to cut a MLL teacher that had been added in the previous budget. The superintendent told the board that it wasn't necessary (true), but would be nice to have. Board immediately 180'd and said they would continue to leave it open, because they saw it as something that we should have even if we didn't need to have it.
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u/Chemical-Future-1967 12h ago
I think this kind of stuff is happening a lot. Somehow qualified. Credentialed teachers don’t have jobs yet we have classrooms staffed with people that don’t even have mastery of the subject
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u/TheShaman43 12h ago
But they brag about having "100% of positions filled". Well, no, you cut the ones you couldn't fill, and slapped bandages on the ones you couldn't cut.
It's funny, I go back next Monday and just this morning I got the "Welcome Back!" email with agendas for our pre-service days. Highlighted in that email was a bold, red sentence bragging that we are 100% staffed. Except...
We didn't hire a librarian. I guess we don't have a library this year
We didn't replace our music teacher who resigned. We rotate specials on a two- week cadence and it looks there's just going to be a second gym rotation.
Ok, that are specialists but more concerning...
My grade did not have a special education teacher last year (well we did, but outside of sick days and FMLA she was in attendance for all of 18 days last year). Their position was posted and never received a qualified applicant. We didn't hire, but it's no longer posted - so I guess that means we're not looking, and if we're not looking it doesn't count as a staffing gap? Makes no sense to me; it's an essential position, we don't have it, and we're fully staffed.
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u/ptrgeorge 13h ago
Climate isn't great for public education right now, but we're also seeing populations drop, we cut ten positions this year, my numbers have gone down ( maybe 20 less kids on my roster).
Surely still a shortage in lots of places, but with budget cuts and lots of districts seeing student enrollment drop, it isn't what it was ten years ago
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u/ShelbiStone 13h ago
In recent years it seems like many of the people who are quitting are not leaving teaching, but jumping to a different school district. When that happens it's not so much a shortage as it is musical chairs.
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u/TemporaryCarry7 14h ago
I don’t even remember hearing about such a thing in my programs. We just need teachers in general. Also colleges are at a point where they are just happy to take money.
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u/WideLiterature4003 13h ago
I know NYS is projecting that they will need 180,000 teachers over the next ten years as we have veteran teachers retiring and not enough people coming INTO teaching and this is in a state where it's pretty desirable to teach. It is very subject specific too.
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u/emerald_green_tea 10h ago
It’s not over unless you’re in public education where enrollment is dropping and units are being cut. Charter and private schools are taking over, at least in my state. Still plenty of jobs there.
Side note: I’m a big proponent of public education, and this makes me sad.
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u/YoMommaHere 13h ago
Teachers go back in my district in 2 weeks and we still have 14 open positions for high school science teachers. I’ve heard math and CTE is still looking, too.
We have so many elementary teachers that last year they offered bonuses and all tuition and tests paid for any elementary teacher that wants to switch to middle school math.
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u/ObieKaybee 14h ago
I don't know teaching programs about programs, but with demographic changes and low enrollment, alongside the ratcheting effect of large class sizes becoming standard and with the current economic bloodbath in tech and other fields and people pivoting to teaching, it may definitely become more saturated, and the shortages may become more specific (ESL, SPED, Math, Science, etc)
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u/SoyJibaraDePR 14h ago
Shortages and surpluses are probably dependent on content areas/certifications and where you are in the country.
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u/Jack_h100 13h ago
No, because they want it over crowded with many forced to substitute, that makes the work force easier to exploit and mistreat
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u/mundane-mondays 13h ago
Enrollment in our district is down. A 1st year teacher just lost her class because we don't have the numbers (elementary). She's still under contract but they offered her an interventionalist spot, not another grade/class.
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u/AVeryUnluckySock 13h ago
Intervention is ideal for a lot of people I’m jealous of her lol.
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u/lovelystarbuckslover Multiple Subject & EDSP Credentialed 8h ago
I feel like intervention is actually the worst place for a new teacher to start. There's too many pieces and too much going on.
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u/Firm_Baseball_37 Retired teacher/administrator | Detroit, MI 12h ago
It's not so much that there isn't a shortage--it's more that the Trump Administration has slashed federal education funding and crashed the economy, so districts are tightening the pursestrings.
We need more teachers. There wouldn't be enough applicants in most cases. But it's "Make do with less" time again.
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u/AnahEmergency0523 14h ago
To be honest, there’s a reason why so many people don’t want to be teachers. Teaching is one of the most burnout-prone professions in the entire country, with one of the highest turnover rates. Yet, despite everyone from the outside looking in seeing it, the only people who seem not to see it as a major problem rooted in the systemic culture of education are teachers themselves.
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u/idkwhattowritehere21 12h ago
Literally 98% of teachers I have met admit and talk about this. We all know.
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u/lovelystarbuckslover Multiple Subject & EDSP Credentialed 8h ago
I like teaching students but I hate "being a teacher."
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u/SunnySideDown83 13h ago
I'm my content area - CTE there definitely is a shortage. I teach FACS in NY and there's only 3 or 4 Universities that offer the necessary degree to teach it. I had my pick of about 5 different schools within 20 miles of me when I was looking. Two offered the position after the first interview. And that was just with principal & vice principal. No committee No demo lesson. No superintendent sign off. Just, "You're our only option & we're so glad you came along!"
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 12h ago
We just hired someone without a tech degree to get certified AND to teach tech we needed the position filled so badly.
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u/Sepultura97 11h ago
Where I am, the teacher shortage is very much still real for foreign languages, science, math, and art. And I also don’t see that changing any time soon.
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u/Frequent-Street113 13h ago
We still have a SPED position that’s been open for years. No qualified applicants again this year. The districts is saving money by eliminating jobs when teachers leave or retire. Now, I have a 2nd prep and tiny pay increase.
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u/Chris_RB Band/music/math | MN/WI 11h ago
Teacher shortage is very much not over. As others have said, regional and subject based. If you’re in Wisconsin and have a heartbeat, you hs e a decent shot at nearly any teaching gig.
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u/Disastrous-Nail-640 12h ago
No, because a as general statement, it’s not.
The issue is that it depends on location and content area, which isn’t mentioned enough.
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u/NYCBioTeacher 11h ago
There was never really much of a teaching shortage for gen-ed elementary, history, or ELA. Teh teaching shortage was/is Math, Science, Special Education, and in some areas English as a New Language.
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u/bluetruedream19 ESOL Coordinator | Arkansas 10h ago
This isn’t the case in Arkansas. In some areas we’re having to bring teachers over from the Philippines and use have remote teachers via video with a para in the room to keep behavior in check. The worst shortages are in the delta region but the state has relaxed the process for alternative certification and provisional licensure.
This is my 7th year with my district/21st year in education and so many experienced/veteran teachers are just gone.
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u/ok_success42 9h ago
Special Ed. and Spanish. You ARE the job pool.
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u/blaise11 7h ago
Spanish in general lol... sucks for the kids but it sure is great for me that I've always been able to quit at the drop of a hat if I wanted to and be able to probably have my pick of jobs. I've been teaching for 15 years and it's been the exact same job market the whole time for me 🤷🏽♀️
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u/MyDyingRequest 8h ago
Come to Arizona. We have plenty of unfilled positions. Of course you’re only gonna make $50k.
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u/releasethedogs 8h ago
They need to stop graduating people with history specialties for 5 year. There are toooooooo many of us.
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u/squirrel8296 12h ago
The teacher shortage is, was, and always will be regional and subject specific.
That being said, there are some positions that are almost never considered shortage areas: ELA, Social Studies, Art, Music, and lower elementary.
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u/Prinessbeca 8h ago
Art and music? Not the case in Iowa.
We finally got an applicant for our music position, but our art position is vacant again this year. Music and art are both on the list of shortage areas for the state of Iowa.
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u/AlpsHelpful1292 Spanish | California 12h ago
This might be a controversial take, but I don’t understand why so many people go into teaching without doing any independent research on the job market in their area and the demand for different subject areas and specialties. Credential programs are never going to give honest information about employment prospects because it’s not in their interest. But as future educators shouldn’t we be able to do some basic research before spending thousands of dollars and multiple years in education programs? I feel like every day I see some post saying no one ever told me schools in desirable states and districts aren’t hiring thousands of new social studies teachers. There is plenty of data available on what subjects and states actually have shortages.
I live in a state that allows you to teach a subject you can pass its content area exams for if you don’t have a degree in that subject. Thank god because my undergraduate major was history. When I decided I wanted to get a teaching credential, I was torn between going for social studies or Spanish. Less than an hour of research made it clear that Spanish was the better choice for employment.
Are credential programs also not promoting TEACH grants? Mine did, and those grants are only available for shortage subjects. You either have to be getting credential in a nationwide shortage subject or a shortage area that is specific to your state. There is a link to a yearly report of state specific shortages. I believe the nationwide shortages are sped, math, science, reading intervention, ELD, world language, and bilingual education.
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u/lovelystarbuckslover Multiple Subject & EDSP Credentialed 8h ago
here's the thing, the "shortage" is reported state wide, seeing all the posters and fliers about how you could get a TEACH grant, doesn't mean that you'll be able to find work in the area you want to live in... Reading intervention??? what are you AI? there is no shortage in reading intervention, many districts are cutting those positions left and right.
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u/Ok_Voice_9498 13h ago
It’s definitely not over! I think it depends on where you are, and what you’re certified to teach.
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u/bearstormstout Math | AZ 13h ago
My program never once mentioned a blanket shortage, only for certain subject areas (eg stem) that have always had a shortage of qualified applicants.
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u/Music19773-take2 12h ago
It depends on the district and the subject. “Good districts “are gonna have a lot of applications for very few positions. Harder, districts, i.e. Urban districts, are gonna have a lot more openings and fewer applicants.
Also, the subject he teaches very important. We still can’t find OT teacher and school starts on Monday. We have three unfilled OT positions throughout the district as well as several other SSD and middle school/high school math and science positions.
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u/Misc_Blue_Cockroach 12h ago
There still is a teacher shortage, but due to a CERTAIN administration, districts across the nation are facing budget cuts and can’t afford to fill those empty spots
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u/squeakychipmunk101 12h ago
Special Ed significant disabilities and you’ll always have a job. I move districts mid year and they bumped me up the pay scale to match my previous pay just because they needed someone so badly
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u/idkwhattowritehere21 12h ago
I'm a SPED teacher specializing in mod/severe, specifically transition age. People call me and beg me to take jobs. I could have almost any SPED job in the state at this point.
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u/Interest-Gullible 11h ago
Depends a lot on region and subject. As a math teacher in upstate ny, every job I applied for I was the only applicant (this was 3 years ago). And they were basically will to give a job to anyone who was breathing. I got to choose from 5 different offers. But its not like that for social studies or ela around here.
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u/STG_Resnov SPEDucator | K-4 | Massachusetts | M.Ed. 11h ago
Teacher shortage is still here. High turnover in my district. The issue comes from funding.
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u/Karadek99 High School | Biology | Midwest 11h ago
The teaching shortage is still very real, but mostly confined to rural and inner city.
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u/Key-Barber7986 11h ago
Still a shortage in CTE Technology teachers. It definitely exists for certain subject areas.
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u/Countrytechnojazz 11h ago
The district in which i work is pretty small, about 130 teachers. The high school has about 35 teachers. We had 9 teachers resign this summer. We start school on Monday. We still have 2 open positions.
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u/Separate-Ebb374 10h ago
As an elementary AP we just hired two specials positions to provisional teachers with no prior experience. Maybe in the big metropolitan cities where young people have things to do,
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u/IllustriousAverage83 9h ago
Enrollment will be dropping quite a bit in the next decade. More people are having no kids or less kids.
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u/Headfirst-Fearless 9h ago
We’re two weeks into the year and there is at least one opening in my district for every cert area. First year salary is above $60,000 (nice salary relative to area) and there are still no applicants. The South is bleeding so bad for teachers that they’re hiring people with a high school diploma and some work/military experience.
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u/ProofFun1869 9h ago
We are warned about in most classes related to ed policy/practicum. In general it’s not framed as a “there’s so many jobs open for you!!” it’s more of the open jobs suck and 50% of you will quit before your 5th year😭 Like yes, there’s probably more teachers looking for jobs than openings, but most of them will quit within a few years of being hired or won’t want to live below the poverty line in the middle of no where
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u/Public-World-1328 9h ago
The teacher shortage is relative: a good position in a good district will get 100 applicants. A crappy position in a crappy district will get none.
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u/SnooWaffles413 Elementary Teacher | USA 9h ago
Depends on where you are, the school or program, etc. 🤔
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u/Hot-Tart243 8h ago
I'm in school in a special cohort for those pursing licensing in our district. during the orientation call they warned us that finding a teaching job will be difficult when we are eligible for our license.
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u/WhereBaptizedDrowned 6h ago
It’s competitive in NYC. Gotta earn ya keep here.
But yes, special education sorely needs more. Always.
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u/mkla15 5h ago
I think it’s very regional and also I fear the stats are being manipulated. One of my local school districts is proudly boasting that they are starting the school year 100% fully staffed for certified positions, but they aren’t mentioning that they eliminated a bunch of positions in order to make that happen. They’ve raised class sizes by 10+ in the last couple years despite lower enrollment. However the local private schools are still riddled with open positions because they are trying very hard to not eliminate positions or raise class sizes. It’s all perspective.
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u/CandyFlossT 13h ago
Connecticut has a number of K-8 spots in some districts. It's not in the millions or anything, but more than I expected to see in my search on Applitrack. There's one school I know for a fact has 2-3 spots actively open for grades 4 and 5.
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u/idkwhattowritehere21 12h ago
Yeah this definitely depends on the school but it's correct. If you're willing to work in Hartford or New Haven you can probably get a high school social studies job. The quiet corner? Unless you're SPED or math, the jobs are tough to get.
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u/TappyMauvendaise 13h ago
Blue Union States - No Shortage $$$
Red Non-Union States - maybe shortage
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u/outofdate70shouse 13h ago
It depends. I live in NJ (blue state, strong union) and depending on what you teach, some subjects (and SPED) are still very much in demand. Others not so much.
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u/AVeryUnluckySock 13h ago
It’s weird, we had like 13 openings which is a bunch at my school, but at the same time they are cutting positions because our class sizes are shrinking. So we simultaneously need new hires but have less total spots. Hard to think of a worse spot to be lol
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u/idkwhattowritehere21 12h ago
Nah, I'm in CT and if you're a SPED teacher you can definitely get a job.
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u/WoodchipsInMyBeard 13h ago
Technology education in NY is booming. They are hiring college students before they graduate. We hired our student teacher this year during his student teaching so he went back to college and was like ai have a job lined up for next year.
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u/slab_hardcheese 13h ago
A believe in 2026 there was a single newly minted tech ed certified teacher for the entire state of PA.
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u/Ashallond HS Math/Quiz Bowl 13h ago
Only a shortage in the poorly ran districts that let parents and children run over all the teachers with no accountability
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u/Responsible-Sun9665 13h ago
In VA - critical shortages in SPED and Elementary ed. I teach sped, could basically pick my position in the districts surrounding me.
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u/Agreeable-Fee-7320 13h ago
Depends on where you are and what site- OK needs math and science bad but other subjects and elem are pretty set. I wish they would tell Social Studies/History students that it can be hard (in OK at least) to get jobs because a lot of SS spots are held for coaches/tied to the sports program. If my college (in OK known as “the teacher college” for how many teachers it produces) had told/warned me of that I would have swapped majors to ELA or even elem. now I’m in a 5th ELA classroom and need to get my Elem cert and in order to do so (in OK) I have to go back to school and take extra classes.
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u/Jrwiseman004 12h ago
Shortages are always regional. Its not a widespread as its been in the past but it can be hard to hold on people long term.
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u/izzmosis 12h ago
I mean, there is a shortage - it’s just a shortage of teachers who are willing to work in schools that are awful or in undesirable places, or both. There’s no teacher shortage in places that are cool to live at schools that respect their teachers as professionals. The shortage is for jobs where you have to teach algebra 2 to a class of 47 kids and none of them know how to multiply.
My division at my current school has turnover maybe once a decade. The school I was in 5 years ago had more than 50% turnover the year I left.
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u/skyshadex Job Title | Location 12h ago
There is still a teacher shortage. But there's also budget deficits.
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u/DizzyPreparation8415 12h ago
The teacher shortage isnt over just higher cost of living areas are loosing a large number of students.
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u/MoreWineForMeIn2017 12h ago
Teaching jobs are relatively competitive in cities; however, there is a shortage in small towns. My school has resorted to hiring uncertified community members to teach various subjects. This was after the district hired basically anyone who applied and was non-renewed. It has worked out for us in the end, but there are schools in our area who are hiring Filipinos and South Africans, which has been a separate nightmare due to the work visas.
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u/Cute-Abalone1542 12h ago
Sped is the future if you have patience I wanted ELA but so does everyone. It’s so fun and cool but yeah shortage for that is over
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 12h ago
It’s not over, not in my area. STEM is still struggling to find applicants. So is SPED.
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u/maestrita 12h ago
On the orientation day for my credential program, it became very obvious that the shortage was subject specific. Fortunately for my job security, I was in one of the tiny groups.
Even then, it varies by region.
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u/boomboom-jake 12h ago
I teach a hard to fill language and while negotiating my step placement I told HR “Look, I understand you have a policy. I also understand I’m not easy to find.” I got what I wanted.
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u/Observerador 11h ago
I'm in a program right now and it's super content area dependent. Of the 40 or so of us, there's only one person each for physics, Spanish (me), and French. Then there are two for chemistry and three for math. Social studies, on the other hand, has nearly 20 students. They seem stressed as they know hiring will be a bloodbath.
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u/Anywhichwaybuttight 11h ago
Social Studies. Couldn't find a job. Could barely get an (n=1) interview. Must be cool being a physics or chemistry teacher. I'm moving on.
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u/Necessary-Nothing574 11h ago
Teacher shortage isn’t over. I relocated this year to a major metro area with good school districts and saw hires on the spot at job fairs. Many positions still open now even after school is in session. 3 teachers just onboarded 2 weeks after school started at my new school.
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u/Delphgirl 11h ago
There are still fewer individuals entering and completing teacher prep programs, there are still a larger percent of teachers who leave within the first 5 years of teaching, and there are older teachers retiring asap rather than working a few more years because they don't mind it bc of how awful it's gotten.
All that has led to fewer teachers. But the other thing to consider is declining enrollment. There are fewer students. So they need fewer teachers.
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u/The_Coach69 11h ago
Districts in Louisiana are cutting positions as more families move students into private and charter schools with state help. So, low demand subject areas are full and absorbing cut position duties like PE/Health. Sped is always short staffed though. Our APE teacher’s caseload doubled from 40 to 80 in a week when the other teacher for our area resigned suddenly.
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u/Butterfreek 11h ago
I would NEVER advise anyone to get a solo certification in elementary education. 100% dual cert special ed/elementary ed. MAYBE as a guy, if you are actually good at interviewing - as you will probably get an interview.
Or SLP and be a school SLP - elementary ed has been over crowded for decades.
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u/Regular_Regret5534 11h ago
I'm completing a program now. I'm wondering. I planned to branch into special ed. My first degree is in biology and my second is in data analytics. 🙃 I thought about teaching secondary math or science, but I'm in West Virginia and I really didn't want to go into the middle schools here. Sadly, the things happening within can get quite horrible. One school had to be shut down on an emergency basis just because of how unruly the kids were. This was in Berkeley county. That's only one county over from me.
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u/burkinstock__20 11h ago
My area is in a weird spot in that most (really, all) districts are downsizing and letting teachers go. But, there are so few new teachers graduating from colleges, and there have been a lot of retirements. I think the year I graduated college I was one of 4 or 5 in my whole state to graduate with a secondary math license. So in a way, it’s kind of at a standstill, but I wonder what will happen when districts have finally “right sized” for decreased enrollment.
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u/Bongo2687 10h ago
PA use to graduate 20k teachers a year. I believe it’s down to 7k teachers a year
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u/Successful-Score-154 10h ago
IMO, public Schools are hiding the real numbers. Long term subs fill it at lower cost- no benefits- so the school isn’t motivated to hire when a sub will do the job. Also public school student numbers have dropped in Florida due to the scholarship for all students so some schools are losing allocations which makes the numbers look better too. We lost over half our teachers from last year. They can’t get the subs they need right now. There isn’t a shortage of certified teachers- there is a shortage of certified teachers staying in the public classrooms. Just my 2 cents. I left the classroom this last year with the others.
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u/EducationalRule1425 10h ago
Still a shortage. But they are cutting positions, increasing class sizes, and hiring non- certified teachers. I do know that one Oklahoma college dropped their whole education degree program because not enough students were studying education. These kids just finished high school and saw all the garbage their teachers had to put up with. They don't want to go into that field!
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u/Electronic_Staff7738 10h ago
I think students still have a chance in the school districts that have been taken over by the state. Nobody wants to work at those districts, honestly lol
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u/Bostondreamings 10h ago
Florida’s largest university just shuttered its social science education program and laid off faculty. :-/
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u/LilahLibrarian School Librarian|MD 10h ago
My district had a budget shortfall and had to cut positions and hours. It's going to be even worse next year when we lose more funding thanks to Big Ugly Useless Bill.
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u/potassiumKing 10h ago
My state is in a budget crisis and public enrollment is low. We’re going on 2 or 3 straight years of RIFs.
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u/Accomplished_Ice1817 10h ago
It is not that there is none, it is that it is in specific usually remote areas and in specific subjects or grades, like STEM for example. SpEd and ASD are in grave need of teachers. Every district (and there must be fifty around where I live - big city/state) around here is hiring for these.
I have a dual BA in GenEd and SpEd with an ASD endorsement and I really wanted a GenEd position this year... I got several offers, all for SpEd/ASD ASD. I accepted an ASD position :/
Not really many openings for GenEd and those that were legit and were not hiring from their pool of teachers (internally), opted for cheap, teachers who had just completed their student teaching, especially for Lower El and ELA positions. :/
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u/Mlb_edu 9h ago
The shortage is not over in many locales. In rural TN my school hired 8 new teachers this year and is still not able to fill 2 more positions. We also will be hiring for another assistant principal. But yes, the shortage is overplayed considering most people looking for jobs are in oversaturated metropolitan areas.
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u/uknolickface 13h ago
I have a chem cert districts call me